Fauna3
The Felayan fauna is composed of many species from many worlds which makes it very varied and unpredictable. See also carnivorous plants and plant life. These pages feature mostly dangerous or remarkable creatures. There is many many others, from small animals to harmless herbivores, or unreported species that aren't listed here but exist and are part of the great Felarya food chain. Marsh fauna In Ixtapal marshes Tagmatok Size: 6 inches Threat: Medium in group Tagmatoks are small but venomous white scorpions found mostly in the southern part of the swamps. They live in huge swarms, most of the time dug under the mud and plunged into a lethargic state. Some of them scout the surface however, and once they find a suitable prey they wake up the others. There ar few things more unpleasant than watching a whole colony of tagmatoks popping up seemingly out of nowhere and encircling you. Once they surround their prey, they overwhelm it with their sheer numbers and paralyzing venom. Tagmatoks are very dangerous, and seeing one is a very bad sign. They possess a hive-mind of sort and, the more numerous they are, the more clever they seem to become. Large groups of them seem to acquire an elaborate sense of tactics involving hit-and-runs, ambushes, and diversions. Giant Mud Slug Size: 60 to 80 feet Threat: High An enormous slug-like creature commonly found all over the swamps. Their slimy, rubbery flesh is brown and grey, with a pattern that imitates the mud remarkably well. They actually possess multiple, short legs under their massive bodies that help them with digging. They can create tunnels that don't collapse behind them because of a substance they secrete which solidifies the mud for hours. They hunt by lurking under the mud, waiting for prey to walk above their location. They possess very developed senses that allow them to emerge with great precision, engulf their victim, and go back in to hiding in an instant. They eat voraciously anything that can fit in their large fleshy mouths, and with their gigantic size, there are few things that can't. A mud slug could easily swallow a vehicle whole. Another of their method of hunting is to lay traps, weakening the ground above them, so the unsuspecting prey would fall through, landing directly into their cavernous gullet. Korazon Size: 30 feet Threat: Very Low A large lizard, resembling a sort of six-legged iguana. They possesses a dewlap, a row of spines running down their back to their long tail, and two sharp horns protruding from their forehead. Their scales are usually of a dark brown color. Korazons are often used by humans as a mount or as a means to transport goods. They are docile, sturdy and fast creatures, very agile in a swamp environment. Even better, Korazons are almost harmless to humans despite their great size, feeding largely on insects and insectoids instead. One interesting particularity of the Korazon is its tail. The meat is absolutely delicious once cooked, and the creature doesn't seem to mind at all if the passengers cut it, as it painlessly re-grows in a matter of hours. Stormseeker Size: 20 inches Threat: Very Low - Medium for vehicles. Strangely shaped red birds, able to attract lightning with their beaks during a storm, "store" it in them, and later blast it at targets with great precision. They are not that common in the swamps but they represent one of the most potent threats to any vehicle. They are small, agile, attack in packs, and their blast will cause great damage to machines, which they seem to dislike for some reason. They don't destroy their targets but instead totally disable and immobilize them, which is obviously very dangerous in the swamps of Felarya. They are sometimes hunted for their beaks, which are made of a material with excellent conductive properties. Heluda Size: 30 to 40 feet Threat: Very Low Heludas are huge butterflies, living mostly in the northern part of the swamps. They fly majestically and quietly in the foggy air, and the glow of their slightly luminescent white wings piercing through the mist can make for a beautiful and strangely fascinating spectacle. With a wingspan of about 40 feet, they are an impressive sight and can be quite scary if they emerge suddenly before you from the mist. They are harmless however, as they feed only on small birds. Heluda larvas are more aggressive though, and possess a painful and venomous bite. Liethins Size: 4 feet head to tail Threat: Low to Medium in group Snake-like creatures with sharp fangs and feathered wings. Liethins are quick and agile, hunting in packs and biting their victims in order to suck blood from them, sometimes completely draining smaller prey of all bodily fluids. They often live in large colonies and are known to be ill-tempered toward intruders. Encountering a small numbers of them is not too dangerous; a whole hive is another story. Their bite is painful, and some species living deep in the swamps are know to be venomous as well. Giant Marsh Viper Size: 40 to 50 feet long Threat: Medium These giant snakes are common predators of the swamp. Their scales are rough and irregular, giving them the appearance of a root when still. They are fast and very voracious, feeding on just about anything that is the right size to be swallowed, and will relentlessly chase after prey. They won't hesitate to attack a group of adventurers, surging out of the murky waters to snatch a member. They often become prey themselves, though, and giant harpies are know to be quite fond of them. They are also the favorite food of the great dryad Cypress and inhabitants of the Jungle bowl often track and capture the giant snakes to feed them to their protector. Zinorid Size: 15 inches to 1 foot Threat: Moderate The rolling Zinorid is a strange creature resembling a red land starfish. It usually curls up into a ball of variable size. They can often be spotted rolling near damp places such as stagnant pools or marshes. Zinorids are leeches, feeding on the blood of their prey. Once they detect a potential victims, they will pounce and change into their original form to latch on the preys, tearing skin with their teeth and greedily sucking their blood. The more blood they suck, the more bloated they become until they cannot stomach more and drop down on the ground and roll away. Due to their habit of traveling in large number, they can be fatal to small or even medium-sized creatures. They also attack giant predators indiscriminately, making them seen as pest by large creatures. They don't appear to be very interested on things that are smaller than themselves However, so tinies are luckily out of their menu. Marsh-inhabiting tinies sometimes build their settlement near colonies of zinorids in order to protect themselves from wandering nekos. Those vampiric starfishes can also be used as a throwing weapon, which can effectively disable a foe or at least severely hinder them or even kill them with enough numbers. Water Leaper Size: 15 feet Threat: Moderate A strange creature with the body of a large frog without hind legs, forelegs replaced with bat-like wings, and the tail of a lizard. It can fly and swim, using its wide wings like fins underwater and its rudder-like tail to propel itself much like a tadpole. Because the only real change to its body during its growth cycle is its size and wings, it grows very quickly, letting its species populate new areas with startling speed. The water leaper hunts both above and below marshes and swamps, feeding mostly on insects, birds, fish and mammals. It has adapted well to Felarya's food chain since its arrival over thirty years ago. The original specimen is rumored to be a colossal version of these lower-tier predators, and the only of its kind. Water leapers are dangerous and have been known to attack humans, although they cannot fly if carrying a human-sized load in their stomachs, and may become stranded on land. A water leaper will instantly regurgitate its prey to escape if it feel threatened. If nothing troubles the creature however, it will just sit there until it has finished digesting its meal. Gorudan Behemoth Size: 65 to 80 feet Threat: High Essentially an enormous toad with a shell, a long body and pedunculated (slug-like) eyes. Their hide is mostly orange and brown color, and very thick. They gobble voraciously any prey that comes in their range, by flicking their long and very sticky tongue at it. The bulbous tip adheres instantly to what it touches, and a quick retraction will drag the prey in to the Gorudan's mouth in the blink of an eye. The appendage can be launched up to 140 feet with with amazing accuracy and blinding speed. With its very large mouth, the Gorudan can easily swallow a vehicle and it's occupants whole, as well as medium-sized slug girls and nagas. Although rare, gorudan behemoths are one of the most dangerous predators in the swamps. They are slow and not very mobile, but they are extremely hard to kill because of their shells, which are as hard as a rock, and their very fast natural regeneration. Bogmog Toad Size: 25 to 30 feet Threat: Medium Thankfully much smaller than the Gorudan behemoths, bogmog toads are nonetheless dangerous predators of the swamp. It's a huge, fat toad with a rather grotesque appearance, a large head and a wide mouth, sometimes as wide as their bodies. Color patterns vary between greens, browns, and beige with darker streaks. They are ambush predators, remaining hidden and motionless until they see something moving close and then they lash at it. They are incredibly voracious, even by Felaryan standards, and will try to eat anything that can fit in their mouths, and some things that can't. A giant naga having their tail gnawed on by a bogmog toad is a common occurrence. They will eat until they are about to burst, gorging themselves literally to the brim, until not only their stomach, but also their gullet and mouth are full, and until they are materially unable to fit anything within their digestive track anymore. This particular trait gave way to the popular expression " to have the manner of a Bogmog." Bogmog toads are dangerous and one of them would have no problem whatsoever engulfing an human adventurer and even fitting a small group of them in its enormous stomach. Thankfully, their vision is movement-based and staying perfectly still might avoid you being swallowed. In Mycoria forest Ooze Size: Varies Threat: Moderate Oozes are basically protoplasmic sacs of slime that, not surprisingly, ooze around the swamp in search of food. When food is found, they will engulf it completely. At this point it's very difficult for the victim to escape, as the gelatinous mass is extremely sticky. Once the prey has been completely surrounded, the ooze will stop moving and start digest it. Soft, organic material go usually first followed by bones and finally rocks and metals. Travelers have reported seeing massive oozes with the skeletons of entire traveling groups still suspended within them. Since the ooze is amorphous, trying to cut it or shoot it will usually have no effect. Freezing the ooze is often your safest bet. That won't kill the creature, but it will restrict its movement enough to allow you to escape. Adventurers should be aware that since the ooze is a shapeless mass, they can hide almost anywhere. Special attention should be paid to shallow water, because what look like a harmless swamp water could actually be an ooze waiting in ambush! Oozes are one the favorite prey of mud slugs, Gorudan behemoths, and slug girls. Forgon Size: Varies Threat: Moderate Forgon is the common name for the Jenkenite Petrifying Fungus (so named in honor of Professor Jenkin, the first person to document its existence, and ironically also its first documented victim). This rare fungus can be found growing on various rocks, which it feeds upon. It vaguely resembles an oceanic anemone, although its tentacles are usually hidden within its pod most of the time. When prey approaches it, it lashes out with its many tentacles, each one tipped with poison. If the prey is injected with the poison, they will immediately be petrified into a stone statue. The Forgon will then begin to grow upon them, feeding off of its new rock perch. Fortunately the victims don't die immediately, and the process can be reversed, but only through a powerful transmutation spell. ] Moss Basilik Size: 25 feet Threat: Moderate A large, bulky lizard entirely covered by thick moss and small plants. Their special skin is nutrient-rich and allows vegetation to grow on it, an efficient way to hide themselves completely from predators and to attract the small herbivores that make up the majority of the basilik's diet. The lizard however, is very aggressive and won't hesitate to attack humans that comes too close. Despite their heavy appearance, they are surprisingly fast and agile. Thus what looks like a harmless heap of moss and brush can suddenly turn into a ferocious beast that leaps at you, maw wide open. While their prey is stunned by the collision, the moss basilik will attempt to devour it in a succession of rapid swallows, holding it with its tremendously strong jaws. Despite being called a "basilik" and looking a lot like a real basilisk, moss basiliks cannot actually petrify their victim with their stare. They were mistakenly named because of the numerous humanoid statues that are in the zone, statues that are actually made by the much more discreet forgons. In Sunken forest Ringhorn Size: 10 feet Threat: Low A strange gravity-defying creature. Ringhorn resemble a majestic goat with pupil-less teal eyes that seem to pierce your soul. They can scale vertical surfaces with ease, with their strange gravity-based magic. They make their home within the Sunken forest, scaling up and down the ever-growing sides of the gigantic trees above the bottomless pit, searching for patches of moss to graze on. The Antlers of Ringhorns curve and connect to make a ring shape, hence their names. The horn possesses magical properties and can be framed around, say, a mirror. These Antlers are capable of sending out magic waves when the ringhorn feels threatened, that alter and modify the gravity of their target for a short instant. Colmotele Size: 15 to 20 feet Threat: Moderate A large, pudgy bird with green messy feathers seemingly made of leaves puffed up all around its body. It possesses a long, retractable neck, and a large barky beak that can open very wide. It usually waits in ambush on the branches of one of the huge trees of the pit, standing still, and blending perfectly with the surrounding foliage. If something even remotely edible comes too close, the bird will leap, beak wide openm to gobble it down. Colmoteles are not fussy eaters and larger specimens are well capable of swallowing an unsuspecting adventurer. They possess a very loud screech that echo from time to time above the sound of the waterfalls. Despite their wings, colmoteles seem unable to fly at all, instead hoping in small leaps in rapid succession. In Malyra fen Titan Hawk Size: 50 to 80 feet Threat: Low Titan Hawks are rare, but breathtakingly impressive creatures. They are a massive bird that appears to be made of gleaming metals, chiseled marble and beauteous feathers. They are said to have been creatures of the ancient Titans, being designed by Alcazath himself to be defenders of Felarya. Most of them were killed during the Titan uprising, but, for whatever reason, they still exist in some of the Malyra plateaux. They soar majestically in seemingly meaningless routes, as if waiting for a command that will never arrive. While fearsome looking, they are fairly harmless. They would barely notice a human and seem not to mind predators as long as they don't get too close. Mutourk Size: 15 feet Threat: Medium Under construction Malyran Snake-Ape Size: 5 to 6 feet Threat: Low A most curious creature, apparently being a cross between reptile and mammal! Its upper half is similar to that of a chimps, though with lighter hair. Its lower half is similar to that of a large, powerful snake. These tree dweller creatures are omnivorous, eating fruits and nuts but partial to eating meat if they can; they tend to swallow their prey whole with their remarkable detaching jaws. They are a cunning species, even able to use primitive tools. Some scientists propose some sort of connection to the large nagas found elsewhere in Felarya, though so far there has been few reports of Giant Malyran Snake Apes. Some scientists also postulate that some of these creatures may still exist elsewhere in Felarya and that these remnants have given rise to the popular "Bigtail" legend, though equally as many declare this to be a rather far-fetched idea. Credits to: *Veeshan123 for the Forgon *Wowandwas for the liethins and Giant Marsh Viper *Fish for the Water Leaper *Jaette-troll for the Titan hawk and Malyran Snake-Ape *ProjectHazoid for the ringhorn *tkh1304 for the Zinorid *Oldman40k2003 and French-snack for their great help at editing. ^_^